Where the Tide Hit the Shore
by NatureG45
Summary: There be mermaids in places you least except them. Like chilling on a surfboard for example. (nalu)


You know Lucy had to admit, he really does pull off the look.

There's nothing really fancy about the pose, if she was being honest, lazily stretched out atop her surfboard in front of her. Natsu seemed the epitome of peace with arms tucked behind his head, being rocked near to sleep by the ocean's soft rolls.

And while she wouldn't exactly call it _'flowing_ ' his hair was of a decent length, coming to a shaggy end just short of his shoulders. A few spikes stood up defiantly despite the salty ocean water that had the rest plastered to his scalp.

Yup, he pulled the look off quite effortlessly unlike those peacocks she sees strutting their stuff up and down the beaches all day.

"You look like a mermaid." Lucy blurts out. She leans over Natsu with a curious frown tugging at her lips. He snorts, popping an eye open to glance up at her.

"Kinda already am one Luce." Natsu rumbles amused. "Or did you already forget?"

His tail lifts up out the water, pink iridescent scales glistening in the low sunlight and drops back with a heavy _slap_! on the water's surface, soaking them both in its chilly spray. Not that either minded, him being a fish person and she a fish person in spirit.

"Yeah I know _that_. But right now you look like a stereotypical mermaid, the kind that sings songs to lure people to their deaths." She leans back a bit when Natsu pushes himself up somewhat awkwardly, trying no to accidentally push himself off the board.

He fixes her with an incredulous look, scratching the back of his head. "So what, you wanna see me sit on a rock and comb through my hair with a piece of coral or something?"

"You forgot about the song." She responded cheekily.

"It might kill you." Natsu slaps his tail against the water again, barking out a laugh. It really did remind her of a seal's bark in some ways.

"Is your singing really that bad?" Lucy shoots back, scooping up a handful of water to chuck at his face. He didn't flinch or even blink for that matter, the only change was the look of slight boredom that crossed his face silently asking _'really? are you serious?_ '

However the fins on his ears wiggled and the gills that scored either side of his throat flared appreciatively, welcoming her watery attack. Lucy still hadn't gotten used to that, those gills, or the fact that he apparently had 2 different sets of lungs. One for air and one for water that worked just as well as the other.

It was weird when she thought too hard about the reality of the situation, that her best friend is a merman. _Mermaid_ , she mentally corrects, remembering how Natsu condemned the word, saying that it sounded stupid and that there really was no distinction on what they were called among various mermaid genders.

And while Lucy definitely didn't know anything about the complexities of mermaid anatomy, she knew enough to realize that Natsu's gills needed to stay slightly damp when he was out of water too long else he'll really end up like a regular ol' fish out of water.

Which begs to differ how his dumb ass ever managed to beach himself that time she found him. Especially given the scar that stretched across the right side of his neck, marring the gills on that side. It was old, faded at the edges and a pale silvered contrast against his dark skin, fusing those gills together in a messy warp of flesh.

It messed with his breathing she knew, Lucy could hear a hitch every other breath. She's gotten used to it by now but her curiosity still lingered, wondering ever so often about how he got it.

Lucy flops back suddenly, rocking the board dangerously but with a few steadying kicks it levelled out. She didn't miss how his eyes lingered on her legs, or how his tail breezed past her feet, tickling the soles. He was fascinated by them to say the least, taking the opportunity to play with them more often than not. It was a fair trade he'd say, for how often she'd play with his tail and fins.

" Can you really do that though? The hypnotic singing thing?" She reached blindly behind for his hand, a happy sound in her throat when he tightly grasps hers. Couldn't quite intertwine fingers with his webbed hands but they made it work.

Natsu shrugs, propping himself up on an elbow as he hovers over her, wet hair skimming Lucy's forehead. " In the past it was necessary, for protection mostly but some used it just for fun. It's an old type of magic that's still apart of us even if we don't need it anymore. So yeah, hypnotizing songs are something I can do."

He brushed his nose over hers, puffing out a warm breath before his lips settled on her forehead. Sharp teeth were hidden behind them, and only ever bared at her in soft smiles and cocky grins. She'd yet to see the fierce predator he claimed to be.

Lucy could feel their slight curl against her. "You don't have to worry though." Natsu mumbled. " I won't sing for you. Even if you ask nicely."

"Thanks for being so considerate." She murmured. Her free hand moved to cup his cheek, thumb smoothing back and forth and he giggled at her light touches. Natsu pressed another light kiss to her forehead before nudging her shoulder slightly, a sign for her to scoot over. She obliged, inching over slightly for him to lie opposite to her.

"You're a sweet fish person." Lucy joked, rolling on her side to face him. A familiar snarky grin was plastered on his face. "The sweetest fish person you've ever known?" He pressed, poking her cheek. He let go of her hand to double his attack, relentlessly prodding at her face despite best defense. "Am I Luce? Huh, huh? Am I the sweetest? "

She slapped away his hands, trying to give him her best withering glare but failed, laughter just barely contained behind the weak frown she wore. " No sweet fish person would _ever_ try to poke their friend to death. I'm afraid you're out of the running for that prize." Lucy tutted, turning up her nose at him.

But try as she might Lucy really couldn't hold back those ugly snorts at how quickly the grin dropped from his lips. She did nothing to stifle her guffaws, slapping the surfboard as tears welled up in her eyes the more Natsu's pout deepened. "I take offense to that." He grumbled. A sound keened in the back of his throat in mock offense.

It took a few moments for her to catch her breath, somewhat anyways. "I take it back. You're not sweet, you are-"

She pauses to consider her next words, gnawing on her bottom lip. Without warning Lucy sharply jabs him square in the chest, nearly sending him flailing into the water. " _The worst_." Lucy finished triumphantly, poking him again.

She really should get a new phone, one of those waterproof ones that Lisanna yammering about because really, the face journey that Natsu just went through was absolutely priceless.

If she didn't know any better she'd say he just went through the five stages of grief then and there.

He raised his hand, perhaps to let loose a witty retort but it quickly fell. He glared at her, eyebrows tightly knitted together, a skeptical look crossing his face. "I'm the worst huh?" He said softly, slithering off the board despite her questioning gaze.

He reached about halfway off before Lucy sat up, concerned at his odd - well odder than usual- behaviour. Natsu shrugged, the same bored look he had on his face earlier appeared once again. "Well if you say so…" and he disappeared beneath the waves without a sound.

Lucy was alone with only the soft lapping of water meeting her ears. No splashes, no bright flashes of pink out the corner of her eyes. Nothing.

"Natsu?" She called, peering over the edge hoping to catch sight of him. "C'mon Natsu! You know I was just playing! Don't be such a grouch!" Lucy rose to her feet steadily and scanned the horizon with squinted eyes. Was he really hurt by that? She didn't mean it, it was all in good fun.

The board surged almost throwing her into the water had she not stumbled and steadied her footing. She whipped her head around, wet hair slapping on her shoulders just in time to catch sight of a fin, breaking the surface then whipping out of sight. She heard that seal-like bark of laughter once again.

Oh, no worries then. He was just being Natsu. And by that she means really childish.

It surged again, almost tipping over completely this time and she turned again, spotting bright green eyes filled with mirth peering at her over broken waves before sinking. "Natsu!" Lucy shouted, trying to follow his rapid movements. Her gaze jumped to the tail slapping on the water's surface.

A mistake.

With a spectacular burst of speed he breached the water like a majestic dolphin, not unlike those she'd seen in wildlife documentaries, clearing the board with ease. Strong arms wrapped themselves round her waist and she couldn't even find it in herself to squeak when her feet left the comfort of her surfboard.

Bubbles streamed past her vision, popping to reveal a toothy grin, unnaturally bright in the darkened waters. His arms squeezed her flush against his chest with a hearty gurgle, gills thrown into full action as their hair floated ethereally around them.

 _Now_ he looked like a fabled mermaid, amidst the strings of bubbles and bright eyes. He looked so at home under the surf, so apart of it. Her heart panged, they really were from two completely different worlds.

She gasped as their heads broke the surface, gratefully taking in lungfuls of the salty air as Natsu buried his face in her neck, still chuckling.

"What was that for?!" Lucy exclaimed, her arms wrapping around him comfortably. Her legs floated freely in the water. Natsu alone kept them afloat, his tail beating tirelessly, cutting through the water with ease. "Figured I had to live up to my new rep as the worst. How'd I do?"

"You killed it." The fins on his ears wiggled again. That really was cute.

He inhaled deeply, pulling back from the crook of her neck to rest against her forehead. The slight twitch of his lips were tugged down in a frown.

"It's getting late though. You gotta go soon." Natsu stressed the ' _soon_ ', as if it was stuck in his throat, coming out shaky. "You want me to pull you back to shore?" Natsu's eyes darted to the empty surfboard bobbing aimlessly next to them. "Promise not to go fast this time."

Lucy groaned. Right, home time.

She never thought there'd be a point in her life where she despised going home, but she'd reached it, everyday when she had to part ways with Natsu. The nights she'd mulled over how she could maybe sneak him home in the back of Gajeel's truck or start building a house on the near forgotten beach where they'd met was innumerable.

Lucy always hated the saying _'parting is such sweet sorrow_ ' but now she could see the meaning behind those words and the truth it held for them these past few months. It hurt.

"Well maybe not so soon." Lucy murmured, her grip on him tightened. " I'm up for another quick swim."

He glanced back to her, a glimmer of hope welling up in his eyes. "R-really? You mean it?"

She nodded. "And I can lead this time?"

"Lead the way, my mermaid."

Lucy's smile mirrored the soft one on Natsu's lips before they pressed a grateful kiss on her nose, an elated giggle escaping him. And her too, leaning into to him even more as she took a heavy breath

. _She could bear to leave a bit later today_ , she thought. A flurry of bubbles blurred her vision once more as water enveloped her fully. The ocean was cold but she felt warm, held close to her best friend as he zipped through the waters at speeds she could never reach, pointing out parts of the world she thought she knew but really, didn't know at all.

Lucy'd never felt so at home in the water before.


End file.
